Title a LIST of FISHES from the TOKARA ISLANDS
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A LIST OF FISHES FROM THE TOKARA ISLANDS, Title KAGOSHIMA PREFECTURE, JAPAN Author(s) Kamohara, Toshiji PUBLICATIONS OF THE SETO MARINE BIOLOGICAL Citation LABORATORY (1954), 3(3): 265-299 Issue Date 1954-05-30 URL http://hdl.handle.net/2433/174490 Right Type Departmental Bulletin Paper Textversion publisher Kyoto University A LIST OF FISHES FROM THE TOKARA ISLANDS, KAGOSHIMA 1 PREFECTURE, JAPAN ) TosHIJI KAMOHARA Biological Laboratory, Liberal Arts Faculty, Kochi University With 17 Text-figures During a short tour to the Tokara islands, including the southernmost and northern most ,isles, Takarajima and Nakanoshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, in the months of May and June, 1953, I made a small collection of fishes chiefly from the tide pools and partly from the open sea. The collection embraces 124 species. Among them the following 14 species are here recorded for the first time as belonging to the fish-fauna of Japan. Mugillabiosus CuVIER & VALENCIENNES (Mugilidae) (East Indies and southwards) Cephalopholis argus BLOCH & SCHNEIDER (Serranidae) (China and southwards) Plectorhynchus diagrammus (LINN£) (Haem,ulidae) (Philippines and southwards) Anampses twistii BLEEKER (Labridae) (East Indies and southwards) Stethojulis trilineata (BLOCH & SCHNEIDER) (Labridae) (Philippines and south- wards) Halichoeres binotopsis (BLEEKER) (Labridae) (The same distribution) Ha!ichoeres scapularis (BENNETT) (Labridae) (Philippines) Pseudojulis trijasciatus M. WEBER (Labridae) (East Indies) Thysanophrys serratus (CUVIER & VALENCIENNES) (Platycephalidae) (Ceylon and southwards) Bothus mancus (BROUSSONET) (Pleuronectidae) (India and Hawaii) Solea heterorhina BLEEKER (Soleidae) (Philippines and southwards) Tripterygion articeps (JENKINS) (Blenuiidae) (Hawaii) Istiblennius edentulus (BLOCH & SCHNEIDER) (Blenniidae) (China and southwards) Istiblennius cyanostigma (BLEEKER) (Blenniidae) (Philippines) Besides those there are 33 species which have not hitherto been recorded from Japan proper including Tanegashima and Yakushima, although they have been recorded from the region from Amami-Oshima to Formosa, and 4 species belonging to the family Blenniidae could not be identified. 1) Scientific Survey of the Tokara Islands, Report No. 9. Publ. Seta Mar. Bioi. Lab., III (3), 1954. (Article 23) 266 T. KAMOHARA The fauna of this district bears close relation to that of Formosa and Philippines, and also to that of Southern Japan. In the main, however, the fauna is tropical, a large proportion of the species being found in Philippines and India. A few of the species of Central Japan extend their range southward to this district. All the draw ings are my own work, some of them being drawn from specimens from Prov. Tosa instead of those of the present collection because the latter were too small or multilated. All the specimens secured are deposited at the Osaka Municipal Natural Science Museum, some of the duplicates being contained at the Biological Laboratory of the Liberal Arts Faculty of Kochi University. I present with pleasure my deep obligation to Mr. Yoshitaka TsUTSUI, head of the Scientific Research Party and chief of the Osaka Municipal Natural Science Museum, and I wish to express )TIY profound sense of gratitude to Dr. Shigeho TANAKA, ex professor of Tokyo University, for his kind encouragement. I am also greatly indebted to Dr. Itiro ToMIYAMA, chief of the Misaki Marine Biological Station of Tokyo University, who helped me in the identification of some species of the families Gobiidae and Blenniidae. The following list consists of the above-mentioned 124 species of my collection and 21 species which were observed, but not collected. Synodontidae Saurida undosquamis (RICHARDSON) Ma-eso Native name: Eso (Takarajima) Only one specimen, 120 mm long, was collected during the entire period at Takara jima, although the natives claim this species is rather common around the island. This species is widely distributed in the regions from Southern Japan to Africa and Australia. Synodus Yariegatus (LACEPEDE) Aka-eso Color yellowish generally. On back and sides 9 dark cross bands, the center of which is paler. Dorsal and caudal with more or less conspicuous series of brown spots. One specimen, 82 mm in length, from Takarajima. This species is widely distributed throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans. In Japan it ranges as far north as the middle part of Japan. Congridae Conger cinereus RuPPELL Gin-anago Native name: Tokonko (Takarajima) Characterized by very small pectorals, uniform coloration on head and body, and a marginal black edge to t)Je vertical fins. Pectoral with a black spot. I do not find any evident differences by which C. nystromi JORDAN & SNYDER can be separated from C. cinereus. -28- A List of Fishes from the Takara Islands 267 Rather common, especially the young, about 100 mm long, in both islands. Several young from Takarajima. The largest one collected at the same place was slightly over 1,000 mm long. The species is distributed throughout the Indian Ocean, from Red Sea and Africa to Australia and Polynesia. Ophichthyidae Myrichthys maculosus (CUVIER) (Fig. 1) Goishi-umihebi Native name: Umihebi (Takarajima) M. aki TANAKA Fig. 1. Myrichthys maculosus (CUVIER). Color yellowish white, with 3 alternating series of brown, round spots, the middle series the largest, the upper and lower series partly extending onto the fins. Three specimens, 180-270 mm in length, from Takarajima. This species is distributed throughout the Indian and Pacific Oceans, from Red Sea and Madagascar to Hawaii. In Japan it ranges as far north as Prov. Kii. Muraenidae The natives are quite confused over names for most of the species of this family and although they know a great number of names for moray eels, they are often uncertain about using them correctly. Echidna zebra (SHAW) Zebura-utsubo Native name: Iso-habu (Takarajima) Tail about twice in head and trunk taken together. Color blackish brown, with about 40 white, black-edged narrow ring-like markings. Two specimens, about 800 mm long, from Takarajima. The natives fear this moray eel more than all others and kill them whenever possible, whether they want to eat them or not. Actually this eel may be more abundant than the collections indicated. This species widely ranges in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, from Africa to Samoa. It has been recorded from Okinawa. -- 29- 268 T. KAMOHARA E. nebulosa (AHL) Kumo-utsubo Native name: Kidaka (Takarajima) Color yellowish, with numerous fine vermiculated lines or small spots, and two series of large, reticulated black spots, the upper along the back and the lower along the lower half of body. Two specimens, about 200 mm long, from Takarajima. The species is widely distributed in tropical regions in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, from Africa to Polynesia. It has been recorded from Okinawa. Gymnothorax pictus (AHL) Ase-utsubo Native name: Kidaka (Takarajima) Color pattern consists of black speckles or tiny black spots on a white background. In specimens 100 mm long the spots on the body occur in 4-6 irregular rows along body; in specimens 150-200 mm long the spots have pale centers; in the large speci mens the body becomes speckled with tiny black spots. Rather common, especially the young 100-200 mm long, in both islands. Two large specimens, 470 and 500 mm long respectively, from Takarajima. The species is widely distributed in the regions from Africa to Australia and Mexico. It was also found in Japan (Kii and southwards). G. petelli (BLEEKER) Kurakake-utsubo Native name: Oki-dakame (Takarajima) Color brown, with about 20 dark crossbands, which are larger than the inter spaces between them. The first band on snout, the third through origin of dorsal. It is easily recognizable by the dark crossbands. One specimen, about 500 mm in length, from Takarajima. It is known in the regions from Okinawa to the East Indies, Samoa and Hawaii. G. meleagris (SHAW & NoDDER) (Fig. 2) Hanabi-utsubo Native name: Kuro-kidaka (Takarajima) Fig. 2. Gymnothqrax meleagris (SHAW & NODDER). -30- A List of Fishes from the Tokara Islands 269 Color purplish brown, scattered with small white spots smaller than interspaces. Besides, some five longitudinal rows of black blotches as large as pupil arranged somewhat irregularly overlie the above-mentioned marking on the body. Dr. TANAKA (1908) has indicated this species under the name G. wakanourae, but I know of no evident characters to separate it from G. meleagris. Two specimens, about 400 mm long, from Takarajima. The species is distributed in the regions from Southern Japan to the East Indies, Samoa and Hawaii. In Japan it ranges as far north as Prov. Kii. G. flavomarginatus (RUPPELL) Goma-utsubo Native name: Aburame (Takarajima) Color yellowish, densely covered with blackish spots; these spots may fuse into larger irregular patches, in which case only an yellowish network from the ground color is left. Vertical fins narrowly margined with white posteriorly. Gill-openings in a dark brown patch. Four specimens, 160-240 mm long, from Takarajima. The species is widely distributed throughout the Indian Ocean, from Africa to New Guinea. It was also found in Riu Kiu. G. un.duJ.atus (LAC:EPEDE) Nami-utsubo Native name: Shiro-kidaka (Takarajima) Color brownish, speckled, spotted and reticulated with white. Anal broadly margined with white. One specimen, 170 mm in length, from Takarajima. This species is known in the regions from Riu Kiu to the East Indies, New Guinea, Samoa and Hawaii. I have recorded it from Prov. Tosa. S yngna thidae Corythroichthys quin.quarius SNYDER Ganten-ishiyoji Color yellowish brown ; sides of body with very small, pearly ocelli in quinqunx order, each with a brown dot at the the center. Three specimens, about 95 mm in length, from Takarajima. Hitherto known only from Tanegashima. Microphis extensus SNYDER Hibashi-yoji Two strongly denticulated ridges extend from snout to interorbital space. Color purplish brown ; caudal dark reddish brown, with bright orange spots. One specimen, 61 mm long, from Nakanoshima. Hitherto known only from Naha, Okinawa. Fistulariidae Fistularia serrata CtJVIER Ao-yagara Native name: Bo-io or Fugushi (Nakanoshima) Rather common, but no specimens were collected.